Spring-fork.



M. SCHENCK.

SPRING FORK.

APPLIUATION FILED 11.43.18, 1907.

` Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

TIN STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MURRAY SCHENCK, OF MIDDLETOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MIAMI CYCLE & MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF MIDDLETOWN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SPRING-FORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Application led March 18, 1907. Serial No. 363,136.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, MURRAY ScHnNcK, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Middletown, in the county of Butler and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Spring-Fork, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to spring forks for bicycles, tricycles, and otherwheeled vehicles.

A principal object of my invention is t0 provide a fork which has a veryflexible action and yet in which the springs are amply strong and inwhich there are a number of springs, preferably more than two.

A further object is to construct such `a fork so that in case ofbreakage of one or more of the springs there is no liability of seriousaccident.

Further objects are to improve this class Vof construction in general.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are hereinafter morefully described in connection with a detailed description of theaccompanying drawing which illustrates an exemplifying structureembodying the invention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a front view of a steering stem and fork;Fig. 2, a side view, partly in section; Fig. 3, a vertical section online A*A, of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4, a plan view.

Reference numeral 1 designates the tubular stem; 2, a yoke or bridgepiece rigid with the stem having a tubular lug 3 fitting` within thestem; 4, a thimble or reinforcement fitting within the stem and lug 3;5, a pin passing through the stem, lug and thimble and securing themtogether. In addition these parts are brazed in the usual manner. 6, thelower bearing cone resting on bridge 2; 7 a forwardly extendingprojection of bridge 2 constituting a rigid spring support; 8, rearwardprojections of the bridge constituting rigid spring supports; 9, thecrown formed in the shape of a yoke; 10, a forward spring seat on thecrown; 11,.rear spring seats on the crown; 12, spring bolts, one ofwhich passes through holes in each pair of spring supports and seats7-10, 8-11, 8 11; the holes are of such diameter that the bolts fitfreely to permit the necessary movement of the crown; 13, the heads ofbolts 12, the head of the forward bolt resting against the end surfaceof spring support 7, so that the shank of the. bolt points upward, andthe heads of the rear bolts rest against the upper surface of springsupports 8 so that the shanks of the bolts point down ward; 14, springs,one encircling each of the bolts; 15, double adjusting nuts engagingscrew threads on the ends ofthe bolts, serving to adjustably compresssprings 14 between them and spring seats 10 and 11; 1G, a bearing pinpassing through the lower end of thimble 4 and bridge 2, its endsprojecting and forming pivotal bearings for the crown 9; 17, a set screwengaging pin 16 and holding it .in place; 18, fork lugs on crown 9; and19, the forks, the upper ends of which are slipped over the lugs 18 andsecured in any suitable manner.

The forks 19 and crown 9 move pivotally as a unit upon pin 16 under theinfluence of inequalities in road surface, etc. The movement of thecrown is cushioned in the specific vconstruction shown by three helicalsprings which are pressed between nuts 15 and spring seats 10 and 11 andtend to return the crown to its normal position with spring seats 10 and11 engaging spring supports 7 and 8 after it has been removed therefrom.

The arrangement of the rear springs resists any tendency of the forks tolateral play. If any one or possibly two of the springs break, theremaining spring or springs will usually serve to carry the load untilthe broken parts can be replaced. For this purpose, if necessary, thesprings can be re-adjusted by means of nuts 15 to eX- ert greaterpressure. Breakage of all the springs or one of the spring supports orseats or other related parts will not usually result seriously, as theforks can at the utmost swing only until spring seats 10 or 11 encounternuts 15. This movement is not in most cases sufficient to bring otherparts of the vehicle than the wheels in contact with the road surface.This feature of safety provided by my invention is especially importantwhen the fork is used in motor cycles and other relatively heavyvehicles.

I claim:

1. In a spring fork, the combination of a stem, a bridge piece securedthereto, spring supports on the bridge piece in front and rear of thestem, a crown pivoted to the stem, a forward spring seat on the crownresting above the forward spring support,

a rear spring seat on the crown resting below the rear spring support,bolts, one passing loosely through holes in each pair of spring supportsand seats and engaging the spring supports, nuts on the ends of thebolts, and springs encircling the bolts compressed between the nuts andthe spring seats.

2. In a spring fork, the combination of a stem, a rigid bridge piececarried by the stem, a rearward projection on the bridge, a forwardprojection on the bridge, a yokeshaped crown, the open ends of which liebelow the rear projections and the closed end of which lies above theforward projection, springs, one engaging each rear end of the yoke andurging the ends against the bridge piece, and another spring engagingthe forward part of the yoke and urging it against the forwardprojection of the bridge.

3. In a spring fork, the combination of a stem, a bridge piece having atubular projection entering the stem, a tubular reinforcement engagingthe inner surface of the stem and tubular project-ion, ay crown, and abearing pin passing through the bridge and reinforcement and forming apivotal bearing for the crown.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a crown for spring forks consistingof a yokeshaped piece of metal having a spring seat centrally of itsclosed end and a spring seat in each of the ends at the open side of theyoke, and having projections to which the forks may be secured.

5. In a spring fork, the combination of a stem, a bridge piece thereon,a crown pivoted to the bridge piece, a spring urging the crown to normalposition in relation to the bridge, located substantially in front ofthe center of the crown axis, and two additional springs performing asimilar function, one being located on each side of the center and tothe rear of the crown axis, and forks connected with the crown.

6. In a spring fork, a stem, and a bridge piece carried thereby, acrown, forks carried by the crown, a pivotal connection between theapproximate centers of the bridge piece and crown, the bridge piece andcrown having coperating forwardly and rearwardly projecting extensions,and yielding connections between the extensions of the bridge piece andcrown.

7. In a spring fork, a stem, and a bridge piece carried thereby, acrown, a pivotal connect-ion between the crown and bridge piece, andyielding connections between the crown and bridge piece, located forwardand rearward of the pivotal connection.

S. As a new article of manufacture, a crown for spring forks, consistingof a yokeshaped member having a central part adapted for connection witha bridge piece, said yoke having a spring seat located centrally of itsclosed end, and a spring seat at each of the ends of the open side ofthe yoke.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

MURRAY SCHENCK.

wWitnesses GEO. MITCHELL, E. M. JAMESON.

